Berth-lock for sleeping-cars



v J. KIRBY, Jr. V BERTH LOGK FOR SLEEPING CARS. No. 271,867.

(ModeL) Patented Feb; 6, 1883 Iii;

u. PETER$ Photo-Lithographer, Washinm 04 c UNITED STATES JOHN KIRBY, JR.,' OF LUDLOW, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO POST PATENT O' rien.

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CINCINNATI, OHIO.

B ERTH-LO'CK FOR SLEEPING-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,867, dated February 6, 1883. Application filed November 11, 1882. (hlIodeL) A To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN KIRBY, Jr., of Ludlow, Kenton county, Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Berth-Locks for Sleeping-0ars,,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification, reference being had to the accompanying tliiawings, forming part of this specification, in W ich- Figure l'is a view of my berth-lock. 1 is a view of handle-plate, broken away in part, showing mechanism used in withdrawing latches, 2 and 3 showing latches, latch-rods, and latch-receiver attached to frame of berth. Fig. 2 is a part section on line so 00, Figs. 1 and 4, of handle and handle-plate, showing arm on end of handle resting in recess in plate. Fig. 3 is a View of handledetached from its plate. Fig. 4 is a View of the withdrawingarms, showing also arms on end of handle that actuate the withdrawing-arms, showing also recess in plate to receive arms on end of handle when the lock is unlocked. Fig. 5 is a view of screw-links for varying length of rods.

Similar letters of reference in the several drawings indicate the same parts.

A is the handle-plate; B, sliding springhandle'; I) b, arms of handle B; G, supportingbar for handle; 0 c, attaching-lugs (1, spring on handle; D, recess in back face of plate A; E E, retracting-arms pivoted on back face of plate A; F F, arms pivoted to arms E E and to rods H H; H H, retracting-rods for latches; and G G, latches.

My invention relates to looks for the upper berths of sleeping-cars, and to that class in which'the bolts are held positively in the unlocked position; and its object is to prevent the locking oi'the berth in case of accident, so that if it closes it may not lock.

, My lock is made as follows: The working parts being attached to a saucer-shaped plate, A, as shown in Fig. 1, a handle, B, is inserted. The shank of the handle extends through the plate A and into the supporting-bar G, which serves to guide it, andwhich is attached to i the back of the plate by brackets or legs a c. The handle B has projecting arms I) b, and has a spiral-shaped spring, d, around it, resting at one end against the supporting-bar O and at the other against the arms b b. face of the depressed portion of plate (1 is a recess, D, of a size and shape to receive and hold the arms b b when the handle is turned In the back to the unlocking position, in which position the arms b b are forced into the recess and there held until occasion comes for turning the handle to the locking position. To turn the handle it is necessaryfirst to overcome the resistance of the spring'd and to press the arms I) I) out of the'recess 1D. The ban dle B has a play through the plate A lim; ited to the distance between the back face of plate A and the supporting-bar G, and modified by the spring d.- At opposite points, h h, on the back face of plate A are pivoted the arms E E. To these arms are pivoted other arms, F F, and to these latter arms are attached latch-rods H H, which linkonto latches G G. A screw-coupling, K, Fig. 5, may be used to connectparts of either rod to vary its length.

The operation of my invention is as follows: \Vhen it is desired to let down the berth (unlock it) the handle B is turned until the arms I) b, which by'their movement actuate the arms E E and so retract the latches, come over the recess D, into which they are forced by the spring 01. A pin, L, prevents the arms b b turning too far. The arms I) b are thicker than the depth of recess D, and their ends rest against the arms E E, thus acting as a catch when the lock is unlocked for said arms, and preventing them from turning by the. action of the springs on the latches G G until the arms b b are pressed out of the recess D. As the handle B requires positive press ure before it can be turned, the mere closing of the berth will not cause the latches to engage in their receptacles on the other part of the car.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let-' The foregoing specification of my invention signed by me.

Witnesses: JOHN KIRBY, J R.

RICHARD L. Area,

JEPTHA GARRARD. 

